Efforts involving experts, researchers, the ulema and other scholars are being made to improve a variety of situations. Change and improvement can now be seen in some areas. In education, for example, corporal punishment has been banned since it has been shown that the cane may produce results that are opposite to what is desired.
One area, however, that seems not to have witnessed improvement is the safety standards on our roads. Despite all the studies, research, legislation and a continuous flow of statements by those responsible for traffic, the situation on our roads remains chaotic, resulting in great loss of life, needless destruction of property and a drain of both public and private money. I wish the traffic officials would consider introducing more innovative solutions to this omnipresent problem.
In neighboring Dubai a clever plan to encourage safe driving has been put into practice. Instead of stopping motorists and giving them traffic tickets, the Dubai police are politely handing drivers envelopes containing money — yes, money — as a reward for driving safely.
The idea came about following extensive and lengthy studies on the high rate of fatal accidents on the city roads. The planners suggested the idea would be more effective once it was recognized that giving traffic tickets and other forms of punishment to violators had not produced the desired results.
Let us wait and see if the Kingdom’s traffic authorities will introduce such a system. Almost every motorist in the country has, at one time or another, received a ticket, including some women who cannot legally drive. Just read the papers and you are sure to come across amusing tales concerning our traffic police.
Here are some suggestions that I think would improve the situation. Law-abiding motorists should be given free renewal of their driving license for a period of five years. Certain categories of safe drivers should be involved in education and awareness campaigns with their cars bearing stickers authorizing them to use hospital, government and other parking lots usually not available to the public. A special school should be opened to educate motorists who have committed more than 10 traffic violations. The fines paid by the violators could be used to run the school and driving licenses would only be returned to them after they passed the exam.
